


when ghostbusters doesn't pick up the phone, just wait it out

by jjcofeesa



Series: carry on tumblr fics [2]
Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Future Fic, Ghosts, M/M, The Veil, light angst?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-27
Updated: 2018-11-27
Packaged: 2019-08-30 02:52:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16756465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jjcofeesa/pseuds/jjcofeesa
Summary: The Veil lifts twenty years later and it's..... The Mage.





	when ghostbusters doesn't pick up the phone, just wait it out

**Author's Note:**

> prompt suggested by snow (whales-are-gay on tumblr)! this is not... como se dice.... the Most High Quality Work. but i did write it, so. this is not the same universe as you made it all worth it; cherry is their daughter here and not their dog fhdjksa

BAZ

Cherry hears him first.

I’m sitting in the kitchen, pouring over some forms for work when I hear her yell, “Papa? Dad? There’s someone…. here.”

It’s late, so why anyone would be here is beyond me. Then I remember Penny’s warning from earlier.

_“It’s been twenty years, Baz. Stay on alert. For Simon’s sake. You know he’s forgotten how long it’s been.”_

Why anyone _living_ would be here.

As I walk in the other room, I can’t help but wonder who. Simon and I have had so many people leave us. So many. I wonder if it’s my mother, if she’s here to finally see me. Or maybe it’s Ebb. Maybe she has something to tell us. Maybe it’s Simon’s parents. Maybe we’ll actually see them for once.

What I’m not expecting is _him_.

“Seriously? You fucker.” I blurt, and then I realize my eight year old daughter is in the room. She looks up at me, scandalized.

“Cher, do you mind going into your room? It’s almost bedtime anyway,” I say softly.

She nods and leaves the room, giving me a hug on the way out, like she knows I need it.

I love this kid.

           “I don’t understand! Where is he?” he growls, but I cut him off with a wave of my hand.

           “Why the _hell_ are _you_ here?” I ask coldly. I don’t need this, not today, not ever. Neither does-

           “Hey, Baz, who’s here? Cherry said there was someone-” _Simon_.

He enters the room and stops cold.

           “-here,” he finishes in a whisper.

He’s trying so hard to decide what to do. It’s taken years for him to heal, and I can see in his face he wants to run or hide or scream or do _something_ but he can’t move. He’s close enough to me that I can grab his hand, so I do.

           “He’ll be gone soon,” I whisper. “It’ll be over soon.”

Simon looks at me, and I’ve only seen him look hopeless like this one time before.

           He tries to speak, clears his throat, tries again. “Why- just….why?”

Not a very literate response from Snow, but really, I wasn’t expecting one.

Davy chooses this moment to rush towards us. Still a dick even if he’s dead.

           I pull out my wand. “Not so fast, _buddy_.” There are spells for banishing Visitors, but they’re difficult and untrustworthy. But the Mage doesn’t know if I’ve spent the past twenty years preparing or not. (I haven’t, but I can bluff hard.)

           “I don’t know why I’m here,” the Mage spits at us.

           “So, could you, maybe, leave?” Simon ventures. Crowley, I love him.

           “Look, Simon, I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t ask for my life to end like-” He’s      already starting to fade, and the only thing I can think is _good riddance_.

He’s gone now, but the room still has a chill.

Simon collapses on the couch and closes his eyes.

           I sit down softly next to him. “Hey.”

He rests his head on my shoulder and doesn’t say anything.

I guess I figured it would be like this. There was a small part of me that hoped, maybe, it wouldn’t be him, it would be someone we’d want to see. Someone that wouldn’t transport us both back to the worst night of our lives. But, life has other plans, it seems. We’ll have to explain to Cherry in the morning. And who knows from there.

But for now, I’m content to sit with Simon’s head on my shoulder and the soft silence in the house.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! this was originally posted at cohq; follow me on tumblr @infinityonhighvevo :)


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